Victoria currently has 4 legal clothing optional beaches, and a number of unofficial locations. If you want the beaches to stay legal, you need to use them!! More information will be posted here shortly, including some maps and some pics!
Stop Press!! We won this round of the fight to save Point Impossible, but it’s only a 12 month reprieve while further studies are done. Read other posts on this site for more information, then contact the FBA, this site, or the ANF to lend your support!!
Lots of background reading is available in the archives, or check the “Stop Press” category link to get started.
The Beaches
The four legal beaches in Victoria are Southside and Pt Impossible (down Torquay/Geelong way); Campbells Cove (near Werribee), and Sunnyside (near Mt Eliza). Information provided by a number of sources, including the Free Beach Association.
Sunnyside
From the city take the Nepean Highway (Route 3) south approx 40 km to Frankston. Continue a further 7 to 8 km then look for the sign to turn right to Sunnyside Beach. Turn right here and drive down this road for about 800 metres to the car park at the end. In summer you may have to park well short of the car park particularly on weekends. Do be careful of driveways and No Parking signs, as the area is regularly patrolled by parking inspectors. The best time to arrive is before 10am on a hot day, which will also give you a chance to pick your spot on the sand.
From the carpark or road, walk on to Sunnyside Beach then proceed north (to the right) around the rocky point to North Sunnyside. The walk is not that long, but it does go over a little bit of rock, a little dune, and mostly sand (depending on the tide). The beach itself is golden sand with some rock - watch out for rocks in the water in some places, otherwise it is a sandy bottom with little seaweed. This is a bay beach so there is not much wave motion (if any!).
The beach itself is quite long, and is bordered by a private property where a fence has been installed. This actually helps the quality of the beach, as there is no cover for hiding undesireables in the dunes like other beaches. There is generally good shelter from the wind, but there is no shelter from the sun so make sure you bring along an umbrella (and some tie-downs if there is a chance of strong wind).
In the warmer months there is a great mix of singles, couples and families, particularly from midday through to sunset. It is a very friendly beach, and you can usually find people from the various forums and social clubs in attendance.
Southside
Southside is located quite near the previously-legal Pt Addis beach, near Anglesea. Access is gained by turning off the Great Ocean Road west of Torquay into Bells Boulevard or into Jarosite Road to the north east of Anglesea. Southside is just to the east of Point Addis.
Pt Impossible
Point Impossible is very typical of much of Victoria’s southern coastline with a very wide expanse of sand sloping up to a backdrop of huge vegetated sand dunes. While the beach itself is an excellent clothing optional location, it can get quite windy on occasions, so get along prepared with a beach shelter or wind break.
To get to Point Impossible from Geelong take the Torquay road from Geelong and turn left into Blackgate Road about 4 km past Mt Duneed (or South Beach Rd, another km or so if you miss Blackgate Rd). Turn right into Horseshoe Bend Rd and keep driving until you hit a roundabout (where Horseshoe Bend Rd and The Esplanade meet). Turn left, and keep driving straight, through another roundabout (where The Esplanade and Sands Bvld meet) and shortly after you should hit a gravel road.
At the very end of the gravel road is a carpark with toilets at the far end. Near the toilets is the path to the beach. The path enters Pt Impossible CO beach almost halfway along, so you can go clothes free both to the left and the right of the path.
Don’t forget that the CO area is from the foot of the dunes out to 100m offshore. At no time are you permitted to be in the dunes (nude or otherwise) as they are a protected environmental area.
Due to problems experienced with inappropriate behaviour in the dunes in the past (unauthorised fires, alcohol and sexual activity), Pt Impossible is now regularly patrolled by authorities and members of the various nudist associations. Inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated - if you see any, call the police and report it like you would on any other beach!!
Campbells Cove
Although centrally located for many Melbourne nudists, Campbells Cove does not have the greatest reputation of the legal beaches. To get to Campbell’s Cove Beach from Werribee turn into Duncans Road, then after some distance into Aviation Road. From here it is right into Cunningham Road and then left into Campbell’s Cove Beach Road. Proceed past the fishermen’s huts to the end of the road. From the Melbourne side take the Point Cook turn off, then along Aviation Road, Cunningham Road etc.
Campbells Cove also has the illustrious honour of being the first to possibly lose clothing option status. Please read the additional information on this site about the plight of Victorian beaches, and lend a hand (or shout encouragement) wherever you can!
Government Gazette Proclamations
The official word on whether a beach is legal or not, since they are proclaimed by the state government and fall under the jurisdiction of the responsible minister. Currently the best source of information is the Department of Sustainability and Environment (Click here). The link refers to Government Gazette notifications of the presecribed areas - the following links are the known latest versions of those proclamations:
- Victoria Government Gazette Notice - November 30, 1983 - Point Impossible and Point Addis granted
- Victoria Government Gazette Notice - December 12, 1984 - Point Impossible and Point Addis amended
- Victoria Government Gazette Notice - November 5, 1986 - Page 1 - Point Addis revoked
- Victoria Government Gazette Notice - November 5, 1986 - Page 2 - Southside and Sunnyside granted
If anyone has updates to these links, or more recent proclamations that they are aware of, please let us know and we will update this information.
Tuesday, June 5th 2007 at 7:49 pm
If you ask me,I have been going to Sunnyside Beach for about 25 yaers.
I think its about time they opened a free beach a little closer to the city.
Like a part of the Seaford Foreshore,there are many kilometres that are not used.
What a waste.
Thursday, October 4th 2007 at 12:40 am
Hi Everyone,
My wife and I just moved to Melbourne’s West early this year. Being a reasonably new nudist, I was keen to try out Campbell’s Cove being so close to the city. I was alas not very impressed with the calibre of visitors there earlier on in the year (2007). Having visited 3~4 times, I vowed never to return due to the overt behaviour. I am not homophobic in anyway, but am not happy to be sitting 10 metres away from homosexual groups openly discussing penis-size and how they intend to satisfy each other before the day is out. I am attempting to ‘open the gate’ to nudism more and more to my wife and family: taking them to Campbell’s Cove would be a solid three-steps-backwards!
This Tuesday just gone (2nd Oct ‘07) has confirmed my instilled ideas of the beach with a one-more-try visit. This was (almost) the first day worth baring it under the sun so I thought I would give it a try. Whilst I enjoyed being free under the sun with my book, I do not like the carpark congregation and sneers at not being a regular. I thought nudism was all about being open and free and happy to talk to strangers. After all, we are baring it all and consequently letting down our defenses. I don’t want some pervert sussing how he envisages getting his way with me.
Thumbs down to Campbell’s Cove. I will definitely (and unfortunately) have to make the longer drive down to Point Impossible from now on. Here here, Cgalatis., I agree that there is SO MUCH unused coastline - both East & West - in Melbourne that could well be utilised by genuine nudists.
I look forward to meeting some of you at either PI or SS.
Regards
Doctorsound
Thursday, October 18th 2007 at 6:22 pm
Dr Sound,
Im not alone! I enjoy the genuine lifestyle, but have experienced the same. Campbells cove is sooo convenient, but the dregs that frequent there make it not worth shedding the attire. I think us genuine people should make a stand and force the undesirables out. they stuff it up for the rest of us. I was there about 12 minutes(yes i timed it), and some clown hit on me for favours. I told him politely I was straight, but some of them are persistent. With all of the open car doors and blokes sitting in drivers seats makes it very unpleasant. Im not homophobc at all, but the way the pressure is put on will only add to the argument the anti-nudist league will use to discredit the area in an effort to gazette its removal. Too all of the hangers on out there that read this stuff. Get on board if you are genuine and make and effort. Too the genuine gay guys - keep your distance otherwise we will all miss out. I like the closeness of Werribee without having to waist $$$ driving to torquay. Please get on board all you straight nudists/naturalist - lets take back what our beaches locally were intended for -enjoyment without being hassled. Email me at: for your feedback. Why should we hide because deviates froce us to?
Tuesday, November 27th 2007 at 9:43 am
Agree, agree. Campbells Cove is an abortion. It is a gem — just vile. As a sunny place for shady, cloistered, wannabe-naturist types, it is unrivalled in its repulsion. Don’t go there. I know people travel from Melbourne regularly to beautiful Point Impossible (”Posso”). Posso is a beach for the people and for REAL naturists. Just a reminder: if you witness anything untoward or anti-social at “Posso”, report it. If we are to keep “Posso”, we must do our bit to clean up elements that spoil the beach for the rest of us.